Using Calculators in Math Courses Doesn't Add Up, Some Chiefs Say

Indianapolis--The most protracted debate at this year's meeting of
the Council of Chief State School Officers occurred over an unlikely
topic--the idea of allowing students to use calculators in mathematics
courses.

The issue was raised at the gathering because the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics had asked the chiefs to endorse its 1986
position statement that all students be allowed to use the devices
during classes and related examinations.

Several school chiefs said they had deep reservations about the
concept.

H. Dean Evans of Indiana, for example, suggested that schools ought
to do a better job on math and memory drills. West Virginia's
superintendent, Thomas McNeel, suggested that students needed to master
basic computational skills before being allowed to use calculators.

The other side of the argument was championed by Ruth E. Ran4dall of
Minnesota, who noted that math experts and teachers "believe this to be
an acceptable way to bring up our children in mathematics."

After discussing several proposed position statements, the chiefs
approved one offered by Charlie G. Williams of South Carolina. It backs
the nctm policy but adds that calculators "should not diminish the
importance of gaining computational skills."

The chiefs also said they were prepared to assist President-elect
George Bush in his pledge to become "the education president" and that
more action and less "school bashing" was needed from the White
House.

Undersecretary of Education Linus Wright, who took time off from a
hunting trip in his native Texas in order to accept the chiefs'
invitation to meet with them, assured them Mr. Bush was sincere.

Mr. Wright told the group that "it's obvious President-elect Bush
will give more emphasis to education than President Reagan."

Ted Sanders of Illinois, the council's new president, said he "felt
good" about working with Mr. Bush, adding: "I personally, and our
council, will do everything we can to help" Mr. Bush.

Harold Raynolds Jr. of Massachusetts--the home state of Mr. Bush's
rival, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis--predicted that the President-elect
would be more responsive to educators' needs than Mr. Reagan has
been.

"We'll see what happens," he said. "In the previous eight years,
there was no dialogue, only pronouncements."

"The best defense this country has is education," said Mr. McNeel of
West Virginia. "The President and Secretary of Education need to make a
commitment in dollars as well as rhetoric."

The state chiefs also voted to raise their group's revenue from
membership fees from $500,000 to $1 million annually over the next four
years. The fees currently range from $2,250 to $14,550, depending on
the member state's elementary and secondary education budget.

Council officials noted that the organization was forced to tap into
its reserve accounts to maintain its budget this year.

Verne Duncan of Oregon, the ccsso's outgoing president, urged
members to support the increase, saying it was needed to en4sure that
the group maintains its influence nationally.

"Read my lips," he quipped. "This is one president proposing a tax
increase."

Mr. Sanders, who replaced Mr. Duncan as the council leader, also
outlined the group's agenda for the coming year.

As president, he said, he plans to emphasize the role of families in
education, children at risk of school failure, improving the quality of
the teaching force, and structural changes within schools to assure
effective learning.

Mr. Sanders referred to his program as "a triad deployed toward
families, teachers, and students."

Mr. Sanders' presentation was the final item on the group's agenda.
In a reference to widespread complaints about the lack of substance in
this year's Presidential campaign, he joked: "Both President-elect Bush
and President-elect Sanders were able to delay the presentation of
their agendas until after the election."--nm

Vol. 08, Issue 12

Notice: We recently upgraded our comments. (Learn more here.) If you are logged in as a subscriber or registered user and already have a Display Name on edweek.org, you can post comments. If you do not already have a Display Name, please create one here.

Ground Rules for Posting
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.